Babysitting is Troublesome
by greenho4
Summary: It's hard to love someone who barely talks; even harder when he's rarely in the village; but most troublesome when the person lives in another village—and her brother just so happens to be the Kazekage. As if it weren't bad enough, most of Tenten, Naruto, and Shikamaru's friends have suddenly turned into little kids! (ShikaTema, NaruSasu, w/ a side of NejiTen) I suck at summaries.
1. Reunions Are a Pain

**So, just a random story I'm writing and I thought it would be fun… idk how far I'll go and I might stop this after a while if I regret it enough, who knows. But anyways, this takes place after the ending of Naruto (the manga) and before the next gen, but in a world in which Neji does not die like seriously why is he the only one of them to die? But anyways, enjoy however much of this story I plan on writing… or not; idk it's up to you. Criticism and suggestions are welcome, as well as anything in between (or not in between idk).**

 **Disclaimer: Kishimoto-san owns Naruto.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Reunions Are a Pain**

Temari trekked through Konohagakure's familiar forest, following the same trail her two younger brothers were currently taking, just a few steps ahead of her.

"This will be boring," Kankuro vowed, his purple-painted eyes scanning for any potential threats.

"You say that every time," Temari said, watching as the clouds in the sky slowly floated by. They reminded her of a certain lazy shinobi residing in the village they were heading to. She could already see his expression: his furrowed eyebrows as she greeted him by calling him a crybaby; his normally bored brown eyes betraying his excitement even as he refused to say anything aloud; the slight turn of his mouth in its signature frown as he led them through the village.

"Please tell me you're not thinking about Nara _already_ ," Kankuro said.

Temari started to protest, but Kankuro held up a hand.

"No, don't deny it," Kankuro said. "I can see your expression, you know. You always make that face when you think about him."

"I do not," Temari insisted. She paused. "Do I?"

Gaara let out a small laugh. "You kind of do, Temari."

"Ugh, whatever," Temari muttered, speeding up her pace so she was ahead of her brothers.

"Can't wait to see him, huh?" Kankuro hollered after her. He was blown away by a sudden gust of wind and Gaara shook his head as Kankuro caught up again.

"You know better than to tease her," Gaara said. "Please behave yourself for the Kage meeting."

Kankuro rolled his eyes. "I always behave during the meeting; I'm your bodyguard, after all."

Gaara smiled. "I'm glad you are."

.

Naruto waded through the stacks of paper in the Hokage's office before finally reaching his destination: the desk where his former sensei was seated.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto called out. "I'm back with the report, dattebayo!"

"Naruto, he's the Hokage now," a male voice slowly drawled. Shikamaru was standing behind the Hokage's desk, looking disinterestedly at a piece of paper in his hands.

"But he'll always be Kakashi-sensei to me," Naruto whined. "And you don't mind, right?"

Kakashi shrugged, looking just as disinterested as his advisor as he flipped through a mission file.

"It's good to have you back, Naruto," Kakashi said, getting straight to business.

"It's good to be back, dattebayo," Naruto grinned. He handed the Sixth Hokage a piece of paper.

"There wasn't much to it," Naruto said. "There was a slight problem with some of the farmers there, but I took care of it. It's written on the report, dattebayo."

Kakashi accepted the paper and read it over. "This will do. There haven't been as many S-rank missions lately, so you'll have to accept another A-rank one later. The Kage summit is tomorrow and I want you to pay attention to the things going on, but that's not too high a priority for you. For now, just take a few days' rest. I'll have Shikamaru call you over when the mission is picked."

Naruto nodded and when he still hadn't left, Kakashi addressed him.

"Is there something else you need, Naruto?"

Naruto looked around, avoiding Kakashi's eyes, and then asked hesitantly, "Uh, _he_ wouldn't happen to be back, would he?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow in question, but Shikamaru had no trouble understanding what his friend wanted.

"He sent a falcon saying he'll be here tomorrow morning," Shikamaru informed. "He has things he needs to report to Hokage-sama in person, but afterwards, he's all yours."

Naruto couldn't help the wide grin spreading across his face as he bounded out.

"See you later, Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru!"

.

"Look, it's going to be fine," Tenten reassured her friend as she walked.

"But what if he doesn't like it?" Lee asked, fidgeting nervously with the box in his hands.

"Guy-sensei will like it," Neji said calmly, and then added under his breath, "When has he ever refused anything from you?"

"But I don't know if he'll like the taste of this tea," Lee said.

"Lee-kun, you went all the way across the world to get them," Tenten reminded him. "How can he not appreciate your effort?"

"Technically, he was on a mission and just so happened to come upon them," Neji said.

Tenten shot the Hyuuga an annoyed look. "That was not the point. Besides, it's the thought that counts."

Lee nodded reluctantly. "You're right."

The trio arrived at Guy's current apartment, where he had been recuperating for the past few months.

"Lee-kun!" A loud voice rang out, and Tenten winced while Neji sighed.

"Guy-sensei!" Lee shouted in response as a man in a green jumpsuit wheeled himself over.

"You should be resting, Guy-sensei," Tenten reprimanded.

"I'm fine, Tenten," Guy boomed, embracing his students in a hug. Neji was the first to back away, with Tenten hurriedly following suit.

"Guy-sensei," Neji said, "Tenten's right. You shouldn't be doing exercises for so long."

Guy dismissed his concerns with a wave. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Why don't you all come inside?"

Tenten and Neji exchanged looks.

"Actually, we just stopped by," Tenten said quickly. "Neji and I have to report for guard duty today."

"Oh, that's right!" Guy said. "The Five Kage Summit is soon, isn't it?"

"Tomorrow," Neji said.

Guy nodded thoughtfully. "Alright. I'll see you two later!"

Neji and Tenten nodded and made their retreat as Guy pulled Lee into his apartment, no doubt ready to have hours of conversation.

"If it's not training, it's retelling stories," Tenten said, shaking her head as she and Neji made their way to the Hokage's office.

Neji shrugged. "I don't understand how Lee can stand it."

The two stopped at the entrance to the Hokage's office. There were two figures making their ways down and the faster one waved at them as they came into view.

"Neji! Tenten!" the orange-clothed shinobi yelled, running to them.

The figure behind him approached at a much slower rate, nodding his head in acknowledgement. Neji nodded back and Tenten gave them a little wave.

"Naruto, you're back already?" Tenten asked.

Naruto grinned. "You bet! I gave my report just now, and Shikamaru and I are going to go see Gaara."

"He's the Kazekage," Shikamaru said. "Can't you show a little respect?"

"But he's Gaara," said Naruto. "He was my friend before he was Kazekage!"

"You never change," Shikamaru muttered. He turned to address the two older shinobi. "Are you two here to see the Hokage-sama?"

"Is he busy?" Neji asked.

"Nah," said Shikamaru. "In fact, I think he'd be glad for the interruption."

"More paperwork?" Tenten guessed.

Shikamaru nodded. "Anyways, we have to go. The Kazekage-sama will be here soon."

"Along with Temari," Naruto said slyly, jabbing his friend with his elbow.

Shikamaru sighed. "Shut up, Naruto."

.

"Hey, look who's here!" Kankuro said, gesturing to the two Konohagakure shinobi standing by the entrance to the village. The one on the left was waving at them, his yellow hair trimmed shorter than what they were used to. The one on the right was leaning against the gate, hands in his pockets in a display of boredom.

"Naruto-kun," Gaara said, extending a hand.

Naruto shook it excitedly. "I heard you were arriving today, so I had to come see you, dattebayo!"

"What, and not see us?" Kankuro asked, and Naruto took Kankuro's hand and shook it.

Temari withdrew her hand from Naruto's reach. "I'd prefer to skip the hand shaking, thank you very much."

"Kazekage-sama," Shikamaru greeted. "Kankuro-san. Temari-san."

"Nara." Kankuro replied coolly. "We're not late, are we?"

"No," said Shikamaru. "The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow at two in the afternoon."

"Told you we'd make it," Temari said. "Hokage-sama doesn't like having early meetings, does he?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised he's always on time for these meetings."

"Anyways, I'll show you to your rooms, I guess," said Shikamaru.

"No need," Gaara refused politely. "We know the way. I'd like to report directly to Hokage-sama."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Sure."

He trailed behind them as he made his way to the Hokage's office for the sixth time that day.

"Crybaby," Temari said, slowing down so that she was walking besides Shikamaru.

True to Temari's predictions, Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed together. "Must you still call me that?"

"You know I'll never stop calling you that."

Shikamaru sighed. "Mendokusei."

"But, where are the others?" Temari asked. "Were you the only one available to see us?"

Shikamaru returned her gaze defiantly. "Maybe I just wanted to see you."

"Okay, that's nice and all, but can you two save that for later?" Kankuro interrupted. "Like, later, as in, just the two of you?"

Temari smacked her brother with her fan, slightly embarrassed. "No one told you to listen."

.

After informing Kakashi that the Kazekage and his entourage had arrived, the two groups of shinobi parted ways.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "So, uh, you want something to eat, Temari?"

Temari smiled at him. "That sounds like a great idea."

"Oh, no, you don't!" Kankuro said, stopping his sister after she had taken a few steps towards Shikamaru. "You're coming with us! You've literally been dating him for two months now, and you've already visited him _four_ times within those two months! Just how many 'diplomatic' trips can you make to Konohagakure in a month?! You're just lucky Gaara's the Kazekage so he can allow you to make such ridiculous trips! I mean, come on, it takes _three_ days to travel here, so six if it's here and back. That's _six_ days wasted, and then you have to include the days you spend here with your boyfriend!"

Temari frowned. "Those trips were necessary."

Kankuro rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure they were. And even if they were, that still means you got to see him all those times. You can last a few hours more without him. Besides, you're going to be staying here longer than us, anyways."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you are?"

"Oh, that's good, 'cause I'm pretty sure I recall Shikamaru begging for a few days off," Naruto said. "And they just so happen to coincide with the days you're here."

" _Naruto_ ," Shikamaru said.

Naruto looked innocently at his friend. "Yes?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Mendokusei."

Naruto laughed at his friend's misery. "Man, I never thought Shikamaru would be the first of us to get a girlfriend!"

"Shut up, Naruto," Shikamaru said. "Don't tell me you aren't excited for a certain someone arriving tomorrow?"

"W-What? No, I'm not!" Naruto denied. "Who said anything about that? I mean, he hasn't been in the village for so long, is all!"

"So, you miss him," Shikamaru stated, glad that he had turned the tables on his friend.

Naruto went red in the face. "No, I don't!"

At Gaara's curious glance, Naruto ran off, stammering excuses about how tired he was from the mission.

Shikamaru smirked. That was one victory for him.

.

The rest of the day went by with little incident. Temari managed to snag a few hours away from her brothers so she could "discuss diplomatic business" with the young Nara head. On the other hand, Naruto had latched himself like a persistent leech to Kiba and Shino's side, whining about how he had no other friends to hang out with since they were busy.

"Dude," said Kiba, "We're kind of busy, too, you know?"

"You guys don't seem too busy," Naruto countered, holding back a yawn.

"Naruto-kun, if you're tired, then go sleep," Shino said.

After much persisting from his two friends, Naruto finally took their advice and was soon fast asleep in his room.

.

It was the day of the Five Kage Summit. While most of Konohagakure's shinobi were busy guarding their village from unseen dangers, the world's war hero was standing by the entrance of the village, watching the horizon impatiently.

"Where is he?" Naruto demanded to no one.

"Where is who?"

Naruto jumped slightly, and a young man appeared before him, his hair already longer than Naruto's after months of wandering around.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled gleefully, running to embrace him.

The returned shinobi raised an eyebrow and deftly avoided him. "Excited much?"

Naruto shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "You've been gone for three months, dattebayo! Of course, I'm excited!"

Sasuke smirked. "Three months isn't that long."

"For you maybe," Naruto mumbled.

"I have to report to Kakashi first," Sasuke said, halting any plans Naruto had for him.

"But after?" Naruto asked hopefully.

Sasuke said nothing, turning his back on Naruto as he entered the village. Naruto stared after him, watching his cloak move mysteriously in the wind. Just as he was about to disappear from Naruto's sight, Sasuke turned his head back a few degrees so that Naruto could barely make out the ghost of a smile on the other man's face.

"I make no promises."

.

The five Kage met in some obscure room for their meeting, and after the meeting was over, the other Kage slowly made their ways back to their respective villages. Only the Kazekage had decided to stay a few days longer, and now he was taking a stroll through the village with his brother.

"Where did Naruto go anyways?" Kankuro asked. "I would've thought he'd be at the meeting, but instead we got good ol' Nara and Hyuuga Neji."

"When will you stop calling him 'Nara'?" Gaara inquired his older brother, who merely shrugged.

"I have the right to call him whatever I want," Kankuro said, crossing his arms. "Especially if he's dating our sister. We need to keep an eye on that kid."

"Shikamaru won't do anything," Gaara said confidently. "He knows what'll happen to him."

"I'll kill him if he ever hurts her," Kankuro promised.

"After Temari's done with him, you mean," Gaara said. " _If_ there's anything left of him."

Kankuro grinned. "Right you are, my brother."


	2. When I Said I Wanted Kids, This Isn't

**Chapter 2: When I Said I Wanted Kids, This Isn't What I Meant**

"So, Nara," Kankuro said, giving Shikamaru the most threatening glare he could muster as he backed the younger shinobi into a corner. "What are your intentions towards my sister?"

Shikamaru swallowed, unsure of which of Temari's brothers he should be looking at. He opted to stare at the less scary one.

"W-What?"

Kankuro sighed, displeased. "Did you think since we let you go for the past two months that you were off the hook? Gaara's the Kazekage so we couldn't just drop everything and come here whenever we please."

Shikamaru nodded his head slowly, unsure of how he should be responding. "Right."

Kankuro slammed his fist into the wall next to Shikamaru's head. Shikamaru flinched, wishing he were anywhere but here. Even stuck listening to Ino talk nonstop for hours would have been better than confronting Temari's brothers.

"That's what you're going to say?" Kankuro demanded.

Shikamaru decided Kankuro was the wrong brother to look at. However, as he made eye contact with the current Kazekage of Sunagakure, he regretted it immediately.

"I mean, well, I don't really have any plans?" Shikamaru said uncertainly. Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say as another fist landed itself next to Shikamaru's head. Shikamaru could feel sand creeping up his leg.

"I mean, it's all up to Temari," Shikamaru amended hastily. Man, he was bad at this.

To Shikamaru's surprise, Kankuro let out a sudden laugh. "You're damn right it's up to her!"

Shikamaru let out a weak laugh, but was silenced once again as Gaara's eyes trained on him.

"I hope you realize what will happen to you if you ever hurt her," Gaara said softly.

Shikamaru couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. "Yeah, I know. She'll kill me."

Gaara did not look amused. "Besides that."

Shikamaru swallowed nervously. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Sir. The two of you will beat me up and I'll wish I were dead."

Gaara nodded, satisfied. However, Kankuro was not as easily pleased. He opened his mouth to intimidate the young Nara head once more, but suddenly there was a large puff of smoke. Kankuro immediately went to Gaara's side, ready to lay down his life to protect his younger brother. Nothing happened for a few minutes, even after the smoke cleared.

"What the hell was that?" Kankuro demanded. He looked to Shikamaru for an answer but Shikamaru was staring at him with his mouth wide open.

"What?" Kankuro asked, though he couldn't remember what he was trying to ask. There was a nagging feeling at the back of his brain but he couldn't quite place it.

Shikamaru stared, not sure if he should feel relieved or worried. He rubbed his eyes and stared again. Except nothing had changed. In front of him was the last thing he had ever expected to see in his entire life.

"You're kidding me," Shikamaru said, still staring at the two people in front of him.

"Shika?" the youngest one asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"Uh," Shikamaru said, his normally fast brain acting slow at the moment.

Shikamaru could have laughed. Or cried. He didn't know what he wanted to do. Sure, Temari's two brothers were still there, but not the way he had ever expected. In front of him were two little kids, still miraculously dressed in their Sunagakure attire. A two-year-old Gaara was sitting on the floor, looking around in confusion, while four-year-old Kankuro was shaking his tiny fist at Shikamaru.

"This isn't happening," Shikamaru said.

"I don't like you, Nara!" Kankuro announced, attempting a punch. Shikamaru absentmindedly blocked it as he considered his options. He could send these two back to Sunagakure and pretend they were lost little kids and _not_ the Kazekage and his brother. Or he could ship them to another country so they would never bother him ever again.

Kankuro was kicking his leg now, and Shikamaru decided his best choice was to go inform people. Specifically, Temari and the Hokage.

The only problem was whether or not the two kids would stay put while he was gone. He decided to take the chance.

Sprinting as fast as he could, Shikamaru headed to the hotel where Temari was staying. However, he had only taken a few steps when someone crashed into him.

"Shikamaru!" Naruto said, helping Shikamaru up. "What's the hurry?"

"Oh, Naruto. And Sasuke," Shikamaru said, spotting the silent shinobi behind the loud one. "You guys aren't bad choices, either."

Naruto gave him a puzzled look. "Did you need us?"

Shikamaru gestured behind him and it was only then the two shinobi noticed the kids behind Shikamaru.

"No way!" Naruto said. "Is that Gaara, dattebayo?"

Upon hearing his name, Gaara swiveled his head in Naruto's direction. "Naru?"

Naruto laughed and picked Gaara up, who let out a squeal of excitement—something Shikamaru never thought Gaara was capable of doing. "Man, even Gaara, too? He's a little kid now, dattebayo!"

"Wait, him, too?" Shikamaru asked, picking up the unique choice of words.

"Yeah, man," said Naruto, who was still holding little Gaara in his arms, "I was just with the Hyuugas and Hinata-chan suddenly turned into a little kid, dattebayo. I was so surprised! It was just so random! So, I left her with Neji and came looking for you, 'cause I thought you would know what to do, dattebayo."

"Well, I don't," Shikamaru said. "Has anyone else turned into a kid?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Not that we know of."

"I think we need to report this," Shikamaru said, the initial shock fading away. "Something's going on and I'm not exactly liking it."

"Are you sure?" Naruto teased. "I'm pretty sure you prefer these two as kids than as adults, right?"

Shikamaru ignored him and picked up Kankuro, who hit him as hard as he could.

"Ow!" Shikamaru said, glaring at the kid in his arms. "Can you please cooperate, Kankuro?"

"I don't want you!" Kankuro yelled, squirming in Shikamaru's arms to escape. "Go away!"

Shikamaru considered throwing him across the village, then thought better of it.

"Come on, Naruto," Shikamaru said. "Let's get this over with."

.

"We don't know what's going on," Kakashi said. "But we've informed Sunagakure of the situation. They're sending shinobi over to escort their Kazekage back."

"What if he stays a kid forever?" Temari asked, clearly worried. The mentioned kid was currently in her arms after getting tired of being with Naruto. Kankuro was also nearby, clutching her leg and glaring at Shikamaru.

"I don't know," Kakashi said wearily. "But until the Sunagakure reinforcements arrive, those two will have to be taken care of."

"What about everyone else?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi looked around at the people in the room. They were all part of the same generation, something that Kakashi found suspicious.

"I'll dispatch units to start investigating," Kakashi said. "But for now, I'm assigning the remaining adults a mission."

"Mission?" Tenten said, seeming interested.

"Yes," said Kakashi. "I'm pairing each of you up, and you and your partner will have to take care of these kids for a while."

The room was silent while everyone processed the information.

"Wait," said Shikamaru, who understood very well what Kakashi was implying: more work, "You're saying you want us to partner with someone to take care of them?"

Shikamaru pointed to the group of little kids in the center of the room, which consisted of Ino, Chouji, Sakura, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Sai, and Lee.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," Kakashi confirmed.

"Why us?" Neji asked. "Aren't there more qualified people to take care of them?"

"I don't want to cause a panic," Kakashi said. "For now, it's only happened within your generation. If anyone else turns into a little kid, I'll have to consider other possibilities, but for now, it's best if the five of you take care of them."

Shikamaru groaned. "Great. Just what I wanted: a bunch of little kids to take care of. Honestly, when I said I wanted kids, I didn't mean _this_."

"You want kids?" Naruto asked, a teasing smirk on his face.

Temari turned red and Shikamaru stammered out an explanation.

"No, not like that, you idiot!" Shikamaru hissed. His explanation was not passable as he was hit rather hard in the head by a fan.

"Don't touch my sister!" Kankuro yelled, hitting Shikamaru with a stick. Shikamaru had no idea where he had found such a stick.

"That's not what I meant!" Shikamaru clarified. "I just meant that as in a general sort of statement."

"So, kids with anyone then?" Naruto asked.

" _Anyways_ ," Shikamaru said, avoiding another assault from his girlfriend. "How long are we supposed to do this for?"

"As long as it takes to find the cure," Kakashi said.

"This is troublesome," Shikamaru said.

"Wait, who are the pairs?" Naruto asked, looking at his options.

"It doesn't matter," Kakashi said. "Just look after them for a short while."

"There's only five of us, though," Tenten said. "We can't pair up five of us."

"Shikamaru's with me," Temari said coolly. Shikamaru didn't know if that was a good or bad idea. Knowing Temari, it was probably the latter.

"Oh, I see, I see," Naruto said, nodding his head.

"Naruto can be with Sasuke," Temari continued. She was just as observant as her boyfriend when it came to Naruto.

"Me?" Naruto asked, looking stunned.

"Yes, who else?" Shikamaru said, catching on to what Temari was planning. "Do you think Neji or Tenten would work better with Sasuke, then?"

"Oh, I mean, I guess so," Naruto said. "If that's okay with you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shrugged in the typical way of his.

"Then, us two?" Tenten asked hesitantly.

Neji nodded. "What about the kids?"

Kakashi stood up. "I don't think that's going to be a problem."

It was then the shinobi noticed that the kids had automatically grouped themselves. Ino and Sakura had drifted towards Sasuke, while Hinata was shyly looking up at Naruto. Chouji had found his way to Shikamaru's side, and Sai, Kiba, Shino, and Lee were sitting vacantly on the floor.

"I think that's settled then," Kakashi said. "You're all dismissed now. I have to go talk to the ANBU."

.

Shikamaru carried Chouji as he led the way to his house.

"This is a drag," Shikamaru said. "Your brothers hate me."

"They're kids now," Temari said. "They hate all adults."

"But not you," Shikamaru pointed out.

"No, I'm different," Temari said. "And anyways, Gaara's an easy kid to take care of. I think. Last I checked, anyways."

"Which would be, what, ten years ago?" Shikamaru said.

"More like twenty by now," Temari corrected. "Anyways, why are we staying at your house?"

"Because," Shikamaru explained, "How strange would it be if we showed up at your hotel with your brothers as little kids? That's going to raise way too many questions, and that's not what Kakashi-sama wants."

"Why are you always so polite and respectful to everyone but me?" Temari asked.

"I could say the same of you," Shikamaru retorted, opening the door to his house.

"Shikamaru, you're home already?"

Shikamaru froze, as if caught in a guilty act. Temari raised her eyebrows at him.

"Shit, I forgot my mother's home," Shikamaru said.

"You still live with your mother?" Temari asked as the sound of glass scraping glass echoed through the house.

"Yes, I do," Shikamaru said. "Is that a problem?"

"I thought women were too troublesome for you."

"Certain women, yes," Shikamaru muttered.

"Oh, and Temari-chan is here, too!" Yoshino stood in front of them, her hands on her hips, still dressed in her cooking apron.

"And…kids?" Yoshino asked questioningly as she verified that, yes, her son and Temari were holding little children who looked suspiciously like people she knew.

"Hi, Yoshino-san," Temari said, giving Shikamaru a "you are going to explain this, not me" look.

"Mom, this isn't what you think," Shikamaru started.

"It better not be," Yoshino said, retrieving baby Gaara from Temari's hands, who gave her a grateful look.

Shikamaru sighed. "That's the Kazekage you're holding in your hands, if you haven't noticed. A bunch of us got turned into little kids, and no one knows why. Hokage-sama has already started investigating, but until then, Temari and I have been assigned to look after these three."

His mother studied the baby in her hands, noting the distinct red hair and tattoo.

"If this is Gaara-sama," Yoshino said slowly, as she turned to the kid in Shikamaru's hands, and the boy standing closely by Temari's side, "Then these are Chouji and Temari's brother?"

"I'm Kankuro," Kankuro said, peeking from behind his sister.

Yoshino smiled warmly at him. "Do you want to come inside, Kankuro? I have some cookies ready."

"Cookies?" Kankuro's eyes lit up as he bounded in after Yoshino. "I like cookies!"

Shikamaru sighed as he exchanged looks with Temari. "This is going to be troublesome."

The two adults followed Kankuro, with Shikamaru closing the door behind him. He set baby Chouji down on the sofa in the living room, tucking him in with a spare jacket.

"He's going to wake up soon when he smells the cookies," Yoshino said, returning with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, which she set on the table. Kankuro plopped himself onto the sofa, happily munching away on a cookie.

"Cookie," Gaara pouted, reaching with his little hands. Yoshino was still holding him, and surprisingly, he looked extremely comfortable in her arms.

Yoshino took a cookie and split it into smaller pieces before handing a piece to Gaara.

"Do you know how long this will last?" Yoshino asked her son.

Shikamaru shook his head. "I have no idea. We've never seen this before. The only person who might know who's still alive is probably Orochimaru. But for now, we'll have to take care of them."

"Sunagakure escorts will arrive soon," Temari added. "They're supposed to escort Gaara back to Suna, but, personally, I think it's best if we keep him here. Who knows who might ambush us on the road? And with Gaara like this, it'll be hard to keep him happy while we're traveling. We're bound to attract attention if he starts crying or throwing tantrums. He tends to start up sandstorms when he's displeased."

"Food?" It was Chouji, who had woken up. He was staring, mesmerized, at the plate of cookies in front of him.

"This brings back so many memories," Yoshino sighed, handing Chouji a broken piece of cookie. "Why couldn't you have turned back into a baby, Shikamaru? You were so easy to take care of. All you did was sleep."

Temari smirked. "I see nothing has changed since then."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I'm just glad not all of us got turned into kids."


	3. How Do We Take Care of These Kids?

**Thanks to charlieobsesses and TheAztecKing for the reviews and enthusiasm for this story... so I guess I'll contine this then, since, surprisingly, there are people out there who are interested in this.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: How Do We Take Care of These Kids...?**

As the group of friends exited the Hokage's office, Naruto stopped them.

"Wait, why do we get all the girls, dattebayo?" Naruto asked, struggling to hold Hinata in his hands.

Sasuke shrugged, easily holding both Sakura and Ino in his one arm. "We can't disobey orders."

"Funny, coming from the world's most rebellious shinobi," Temari retorted.

Sasuke would have rolled his eyes, but he didn't since he wasn't the type to do that sort of thing. "I obey most orders now."

"Sure, you do," said Shikamaru, who still didn't trust the ex-rogue. "Anyways, I guess we'll split up for now. Nothing much we can do about this situation anyways."

"Like Hokage-sama said, try not to attract attention," Neji said. "I'll be taking these kids to the Hyuuga quarters. My uncle can keep prying eyes away. It shouldn't be much of a problem, though, for Naruto and Sasuke. You both live alone, correct?"

Naruto and Sasuke both nodded, and Neji turned to the two ambassadors.

"What about the two of you?" Neji said, eyeing the two Sunagakure children. "Bringing them back to the hotel will attract attention."

"I know," Shikamaru replied. "I have it all thought out. I'm taking them to my house. No one lives there anyways."

"Wait, I haven't agreed yet," Temari argued, but Shikamaru shrugged her off.

"Do you have a better idea?"

Temari scowled. "No."

"I thought so," the lazy genius said, smirking and earning himself a smack from Kankuro's stick.

"If there's nothing else, we'll be going now, dattebayo," Naruto said, about to leave.

Neji pulled him back. "Hold on a second, Naruto."

"Yeah?" Naruto asked, unsure what the older Hyuuga wanted. He had a dangerous look in his eye, and Naruto had a feeling he had maybe done something wrong.

"You better take care of Hinata-sama," Neji said softly, tightening his grip on Naruto's shirt collar. "If you ever hurt her…"

Naruto scoffed. "That's mean, Neji. Of course, I would never hurt her. Who do you think I am, anyways? Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Naruto shrugged ambiguously. "I would never dream of hurting any of my friends."

"Yeah, we know," Shikamaru said, stepping forward so that he was next to the other genius of Konohagakure. "But, still, as a precaution, I think you know what'll happen if you hurt Ino, right?"

Naruto nodded. "You bet I know it, dattebayo."

After checking that there were no more threats and warnings headed his way, Naruto waved goodbye to the other four adults and pushed Sasuke onwards.

"Where are we headed?" Sasuke asked, letting Naruto continue pushing him.

"Your house!" Naruto promptly replied. Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, but Naruto beat him to it.

"My house is messy," Naruto quickly explained. "It wouldn't do for kids to be there. I have all my junk everywhere. I know your house is mostly empty, isn't it?"

Sasuke sighed but knew his childhood friend had made a fair point. "My house it is."

.

After the shinobi war, Sasuke had moved to a small cabin at the edge of the village, away from all the villagers who most likely still held grudges against him (though Naruto was always quick to assure him that no one even remembered the crimes he had committed in the past).

His cabin was plain, but big enough for the two of them, plus the three girls, to live in for a few weeks. Or at least Sasuke hoped it was only a few weeks.

"So," Naruto began as he looked around the unfamiliar place. "How exactly do we take care of kids?"

"How would I know?" Sasuke said. "I was the youngest in my family. Besides, you and I are both orphans."

"Yeah, I know," Naruto said. "But maybe you might know a thing or two…?"

Sasuke stared at him. "What makes you think I would know anything?"

"Uh…" Naruto said, trying to think up an excuse.

Sasuke sighed. "Let's face it; we both have no idea what we're doing. I don't know what Kakashi was thinking, having us take care of them. Their parents would have been better at this."

"Yeah, but most of their parents are gone on missions right now," Naruto informed the Uchiha. "I mean, either that, or they're all dead."

Once again, the two orphans were painfully reminded of their childhood and their lack of parents.

"We should ask someone about this," Sasuke said thoughtfully. "Though I have no idea who."

"There's always Neji's uncle," Naruto supplied. "But he's scary. Also, he wasn't exactly a great parent to Hinata-chan, now was he?"

Hinata looked up, hearing her name. "Onii-san?"

Naruto grinned and picked her up from where she had been sitting on the floor.

"Man, it's weird to hear her call me that, dattebayo."

"You better get used to it," Sasuke said, blowing dust off a chair. "Take a seat. We'll have to retrieve your things sometime, and move it here. The kids can stay in the spare room."

"Wait, I'm moving in here?" Naruto asked, attempting to stop the blush appearing on his face. "Can't we just take turns, or something?"

"Do you want to watch over all three of them for a night?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Naruto admitted. "But I didn't know you had a spare room."

"I use it for storage," Sasuke said. "But I'll clean it up for a few weeks so the kids can stay there."

"Where do I sleep, then?" Naruto asked, doing the math in his head. He was pretty sure Sasuke only had one bedroom in his house, and if the storage room was going to be used for the girls…

"The sofa," Sasuke said. "Where else? Did you want to sleep outside?"

"Uh, oh, no, I dunno," Naruto said, looking away. He was glad Sasuke couldn't read his mind.

.

Naruto had departed to gather his items, and Sasuke was left with the three girls, who were all looking at him with the most innocent expressions ever.

"Nii-san," Ino said, giggling to herself as she spread her hands out.

Sasuke frowned. What did Ino want? It took him a moment, but he eventually recognized the pose. Ino wanted _a hug_.

Sasuke gingerly picked up the blond girl, who immediately wrapped her tiny hands around Sasuke's neck, making him uncomfortable.

"Me, too!" Sakura demanded. "Onii-san! Hug!"

Sasuke put down Ino to take the other girl in for a hug, but Ino refused to let go.

"No!" Ino cried, clinging on as if for dear life. "Nii-san is mine!"

Sakura frowned, her face scrunching up. "No fair! I want hug, too!"

Sasuke sighed to himself. How had he gotten stuck with this job? He had returned from the outside world with news to report to Kakashi, and had expected nothing but a day alone with Naruto after that. Yet, here he was, _not_ with Naruto, but instead with Ino, Sakura, and Hinata—who was, thankfully, a placid child. Normally he would have tolerated their company, but they were young children now, and Sasuke honestly did not want to deal with children. He should go to Kakashi and explain how he was not the right person for the job. Kakashi would understand.

 _But then, who will keep Naruto company?_

Sasuke grimaced, remembering the reason he hadn't argued with Kakashi about this new mission. Naruto needed him here; and if the Uzumaki needed him, then the Uchiha would stay.

.

"I'm hungry, Sasuke-nii-san," a voice called out as Naruto finished putting his things away. It was Sakura, who was tugging on Sasuke's cloak.

"Food first, before anything else, then," Sasuke said, picking Sakura up. "I don't have anything at home, so we'll have to go out to eat."

"That's fine, dattebayo," Naruto said, taking Hinata into his arms. He spotted Sasuke stooping before Ino.

"Here, let me help you," Naruto said, stopping Sasuke from picking up the last child.

"I can do it," Sasuke insisted.

"Yeah, but you have one arm, and I have two," Naruto pointed out. "Just let me help you, why don't you?"

Sasuke refused and the two young men locked eyes. Sasuke's eyes were dark, and Naruto couldn't tell what was going on in his mind.

Finally, Sasuke relented, letting Naruto hold Ino in his artificial arm.

"How about we get—" Naruto started to say, but Sasuke cut him off.

"We are not eating ramen." The Uchiha's voice suggested no argument.

Naruto laughed sheepishly. "Okay, then. What do you recommend, dattebayo?"

"Anything other than ramen is fine," Sasuke said. "Though this will be hard without drawing attention."

"Oh, I know! Let's go to Shikamaru's house!" Naruto exclaimed. "Temari is with him, right? And she knows how to cook! We can have a feast! It'll be fun, dattebayo!"

Sasuke did not see how a "feast" with people he barely knew was going to be fun, but he did not refuse. He never did, not when it came to Naruto.

.

There was a knock on the Nara's door, and Shikamaru, being the only person lacking cooking skills, was forced to open the door.

"Who is it?" Shikamaru asked warily, opening the door just a crack, so potential strangers would not see the children inside.

"Yo, Shikamaru!" Naruto said, making his way in and forcing the lazy shinobi to back up.

Shikamaru looked less than pleased. "What are you doing here, Naruto?"

"Aw, come on, don't be like that!" Naruto said, setting down Hinata and Ino, who both curiously started to explore their new surroundings.

"The kids are hungry," Sasuke said, more generous in his explanations than his friend.

"And?" Shikamaru asked, not seeing the point. "What does that have to do with me?"

Sasuke said nothing, and Shikamaru quickly put the pieces together.

"No," Shikamaru said, blocking Naruto. "You are _not_ invited here."

"But you're already cooking!" Naruto said. "What's the harm in inviting a couple extra kids, dattebayo?"

"That's three kids and two adults," Shikamaru stated. "Way more than I need."

"What's taking you so long, Shikamaru?" Temari called out and Shikamaru sighed.

"Nothing except the fact that Naruto barged in," Shikamaru replied sarcastically. "And he thinks it's a brilliant idea to join us."

"I don't see the problem," Temari said and Shikamaru groaned.

"You're kidding me," Shikamaru said. "Are you seriously welcoming these two in here? It's my house, in case you've forgotten."

Temari waved her hand dismissively at him. "It's your house, but your mother still lives here, so by default, she's still in charge; and I'm sure Yoshino-san agrees with me."

Shikamaru gave up trying to argue with her, like he always did. "Whatever you want, Temari."

"That's right!" Kankuro yelled, back from his expedition around the house, with Chouji right behind him. "You listen to my sister!"

Shikamaru refrained from rolling his eyes—he didn't want Kankuro to learn that move from him.

"So, that's a yes, dattebayo?" Naruto asked hopefully.

Temari nodded. "Yup. Make yourselves at home, for now. Dinner will be ready in half an hour or so."

"Thanks," Naruto said, making himself comfortable on the living room sofa as Temari returned to the kitchen. Sasuke copied Naruto, putting Sakura gently down next to the other kids, who were gathered in front of the T.V., watching some kid's show.

All except Kankuro, that was.

"Who are you?" Kankuro asked, peering up at Sasuke. "I don't know you."

"Sasuke," Sasuke said, careful not to say his last name.

"Oh." Kankuro frowned, tapping his stick thoughtfully on the floor. "Do I know you?"

"No," Sasuke lied smoothly.

Naruto let out a snicker and Sasuke glared at him. "Shut up, dobe."

Naruto shrugged innocently and addressed his other friend.

"Hey, Shikamaru," Naruto said. "Not to sound like I don't know anything, but, like, what's the best way to take care of kids, dattebayo?"

Shikamaru sighed. "So, you don't know anything, basically."

"No," Naruto denied. "I didn't say that. I was just asking for some tips, you know? I mean, I don't want to mess up, especially with Ino-chan and Hinata-chan."

"We have no idea what we're doing," Sasuke said.

"Sasuke!" Naruto objected, but Sasuke ignored him.

"Naruto likes to think he can do everything, but willpower can only take him so far," said Sasuke. "Both of us were orphans most of our lives; we don't know what it's like to be a parent."

"Who does?" Shikamaru said knowingly. "I doubt any parent knew beforehand."

"All we have to do is take care of them, right?" Naruto said. "I mean, how hard can it be?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I imagine you would have been the most troublesome child. I can tell you Ino was an easygoing child, though. You can keep her happy with flowers."

"Flowers?" Naruto asked. "Where the hell would I get flowers?"

"We can take them outside," Sasuke suggested. "To the woods outside my house. It's by the edge of the village so barely anyone goes there. There's plenty of open grass and plants to keep the girls company."

"That's just Ino, though," Shikamaru said. "I have no idea what the other two would like to do."

"You guys are so bad at this," Temari said, arriving and bringing the smell of fresh cooked rice with her. "Honestly, Nara Shikamaru, did you think it would be all handy-dandy if you just left three kids by themselves in the middle of the woods?"

Shikamaru frowned, not seeing the problem. "Yes?"

He was rewarded with a smack to the head by his girlfriend.

"No!" Temari said. "If you left them like that, either they would get lost, get eaten, get attacked, or get kidnapped!"

"I doubt they would get attacked or kidnapped out there," Shikamaru said. "And seriously, get eaten? By what?"

"You never know," Temari said mysteriously.

"I don't want to be eaten," a tiny voice interrupted them. The four adults turned to see Hinata, who looked like she was about to cry.

"You were paying attention?!" Naruto exclaimed. "And no, you won't be eaten! I won't let anyone eat you, dattebayo!"

His efforts were in vain as the blue-haired Hyuuga started to cry. Sakura and Ino, seeing her in distress, began to join her.

Kankuro stared at them, puzzled. "Why are they crying, Nara?"

Shikamaru wanted to throttle the boy. Kankuro was a kid now, but _of course_ he was still calling him "Nara" instead of Shikamaru. Some things never changed.

"Uh, they're hungry," Shikamaru said, saying the first plausible excuse that came to his mind.

"I'm hungry, too," Kankuro told him. "I want food. Now."

"Food?" Chouji asked, crawling towards them. He sat himself in front of them, his hands spread out. "Food!"

"This is getting out of hand," Shikamaru muttered, trying to appease the two boys in front of him with leftover cookies.

"Stop feeding them," Temari scolded, snatching the cookies away. "Dinner is almost ready. They'll never eat if you keep giving them snacks."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Shikamaru demanded. "Your brother is trying to kill me with his stick! Why did you even give that to him?"

"Oh, shut up, crybaby," Temari said. "Don't be so dramatic. Kankuro can't kill you in this state."

"Gaara might, though," Shikamaru argued.

"Uh, if you two aren't too busy, a little help here would be nice?" Naruto called out, still struggling with the three crying girls. He and Sasuke were taking turns trying different methods to calm the girls down. Shikamaru would have laughed at Sasuke making weird facial expressions if only he weren't so busy with Kankuro and Chouji.

Temari rolled her eyes. "Useless boys."

She strolled over to the two men, and proceeded to calm the girls down by picking them up, one at a time, and reassuring them that _no,_ there were no monsters out there; and that Naruto and Shikamaru were idiots, and they had lied and were just trying to scare them.

"No monsters?" Hinata asked, the last to remain attached to Temari.

Temari smiled warmly at her.

"No monsters," the kunoichi promised. "If there are any, I'll be sure to send these three idiots out to hunt them down, okay?"

Hinata nodded solemnly. "Okay."

"Dinner is ready," Yoshino announced, popping her head out from the kitchen. She paused as she noticed the scene in the living room.

"When did we have so many people?"


	4. In Which Yoshino is Everyone's Mother

**Thanks to TheAztecKing, Spacejounin, ohud63, and Axel0913 for the reviews!**

 **Just a heads up, I'm no expert on humor or romance... even though those are the intended genre for this fic lol. But I do try.**

 **Also most of what I write will probably be more Shikatema focused, but there's still gonna be plenty of Narusasu, especially later on (just not much in this chapter).**

 **Anyways enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: In Which Yoshino is Everyone's Mother**

"I know you said we had some guests," Yoshino said after Temari and Shikamaru had explained things to her, "But I just didn't expect so many people."

"It's _not_ a lot of people," Naruto complained. "Why does everyone keep acting as if this is a lot of people? It's just me an' Sasuke, plus three kids! Kids don't eat that much, dattebayo!"

"Unless you're Chouji," Shikamaru reminded him.

"Well, okay, yeah, but they aren't," Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "I'm very sorry to intrude suddenly, Yoshino-san, but the kids were hungry, and frankly, neither of us can cook well."

"More like you cook decently for a shinobi, and Naruto is just a disaster waiting to happen," Shikamaru corrected.

"Not like _you_ can cook, either," Temari said. "Honestly, would it hurt you boys to learn how to cook a few meals here and there?"

There were a few head nods, all of which were not from Shikamaru, who knew better than to incur his girlfriend's wrath.

"Set the table, boys," Yoshino said, reminding them of the urgent task at hand.

Sasuke and Shikamaru immediately got up, with Naruto a few paces behind. The trio made their way to the kitchen, where the supplies were stored, and Shikamaru showed the other two where everything was.

Returned, now with stacked bowls and chopsticks and spoons, the three men found themselves the last ones to sit down at the table.

The youngest children—Gaara and Hinata at age two—were sitting on either side of Yoshino, who was helping them sit properly in their chairs, which had been reinforced with old books to add to the height.

Next to Gaara was four-year-old Kankuro, who was scowling at Shikamaru as the older walked in.

"I'm hungry, Shikamaru!" Kankuro said. He had replaced his stick with a straw and was now waving it accusingly at his host. Shikamaru decided to attend to him first. Placing the rest of the utensils onto the table, Shikamaru took a bowl and filled it with rice.

"That's too little," Kankuro whined. "I want more! I'm hungry!"

Shikamaru sighed and returned to the rice pot.

"Now it's too much," Kankuro scolded. "I can't eat this much!"

Shikamaru wanted to strangle him. Resisting an eyeroll, Shikamaru left again.

"You know you could just give the extra to me," Temari said as Shikamaru returned.

Shikamaru scowled, handing the bowl to Kankuro. "You could have suggested that earlier."

"Some genius you are."

Shikamaru sighed. "Would you like me to fill your bowl too, your majesty?"

"That shouldn't be a question," Yoshino said. "As their host, you should fill everyone's."

Shikamaru groaned but obeyed, mumbling something about troublesome women under his breath.

"We'll help," Sasuke said, forcing a whining Naruto to stand up.

After everyone's bowls had been filled, the three men finally sat down. Naruto took a seat beside three-year-old Sakura, and Sasuke filled in the gap next to him. The other two three-year-old's were situated between Sasuke and Shikamaru, and Temari sat next to Kankuro.

"Can two-year-olds even eat food like this?" Temari asked, watching as Gaara played with his rice rather than eat it.

"I thought you knew everything there was to know about kids," Shikamaru commented dryly.

Temari glared at him. "No one was asking you, crybaby."

Shikamaru sighed and focused on the food in front of him.

"They can eat a little," Yoshino supplied. She held a spoon in her hands. Near her was a bowl of soup, which she mixed in with some of Hinata's rice. Scooping a small portion of the rice-soup mixture, Yoshino carefully fed it to Hinata, who seemed to enjoy the food being served to her.

Temari copied her, trying to do the same for Gaara, who was a bit more picky about his food.

"No!" Gaara cried, thumping his spoon on the table. He pointed with his hand at the dishes in front of him; their alluring smell seemed to have reached the two-year-old, and he stubbornly wanted to try out the mysterious food in front of him.

"He wants to eat spinach?" Kankuro asked, making a face. "Ew."

"Small pieces," Yoshino advised. "Or else he'll choke."

"Yeah, since we can't have the Kazekage dying on us over a piece of spinach," Shikamaru muttered.

Temari glared at him. "I don't see you trying to help."

Shikamaru took his cue, automatically gathering portions of the other dishes and using his chopsticks to cut them up. He offered them to young Gaara first, who looked at it curiously as he fumbled with his chopsticks in an attempt to bring all the food to his bowl in one shot.

"He's a kid, Shikamaru," Temari said exasperatedly. "How is he supposed to know which one to choose?"

"And how was I supposed to know that he wouldn't know how to choose?" Shikamaru snapped. Naruto looked a bit confused as he tried to process the specific order of words Shikamaru had spouted from his mouth.

"He's a _kid_ , in case you've forgotten," Temari said.

"Yeah, well I don't know anything about kids!" Shikamaru said, sitting back down as Temari took over his bowl of freshly cut foods. "Man, this is so troublesome."

"Please don't yell, Shikamaru," Yoshino said disapprovingly.

Shikamaru refrained from defending himself, choosing to grumpily select a piece of kelp and stuff it in his mouth.

After that, there were no more conflicts as the group ate their dinner. While Shikamaru was still sulky, Kankuro was in brighter spirits.

"This is good, Yoshino-san," Kankuro said, his mouth filled with beef. "I really like it."

"Please don't talk with food in your mouth," Temari scolded lightly.

"Sorry," Kankuro mumbled; he was obedient to all but Shikamaru. He polished off his bowl and then held it up.

"May I have some more, please?"

Yoshino smiled, taken in by his polite manners, which her own son had lacked at that age. "Of course, you may. Shikamaru."

Shikamaru sighed and went to fill Kankuro's bowl once more.

"This is my house," Shikamaru muttered darkly under his breath. "Why are they still ordering me around as if I'm their servant?"

"You'd best save your complaints 'til after," Temari said, knowing what was on her boyfriend's mind without him having to say so. "You and Naruto are washing the dishes."

Sasuke smirked. Being an ex-fugitive and lonely wanderer had its advantages.

.

Dinner was over, and Shikamaru and Naruto found themselves by the kitchen sink, tasked with washing the dishes.

"You're doing it all wrong," Shikamaru said, inspecting Naruto's sloppy handiwork. "Just let me do it. Go bother the kids."

"Ah, sorry," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't usually eat at home."

"I know," said Shikamaru. "And you don't have troublesome, nagging women living with you, either."

"I didn't know Temari was living with you," Naruto said, raising an eyebrow at his childhood friend.

"I meant now," Shikamaru amended. "Not in the past. Though, for all it's worth, my mother is probably equal to two."

Naruto laughed, thumping Shikamaru on the back. "Have fun with those dishes, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru sighed as Naruto happily dismissed himself.

 _Dishes aren't bad_ , Shikamaru reasoned to himself as he continued. _At least I'm not cleaning the whole house, or trying to take care of those evil Suna kids._

"You were badmouthing my brothers just now, weren't you?" a voice asked, and Shikamaru jumped. He hadn't heard Temari walk in.

"And if I was?" Shikamaru replied.

"I can't say it's anything new," Temari said. She stationed herself next to him, a towel in her hands as she silently took the newly washed plates and wiped them down.

"Decided it wasn't worth torturing your boyfriend, did you?" Shikamaru asked sarcastically.

Temari hit him with the towel. "Be grateful, you lazy ass."

The two fell into a comfortable rhythm, with Shikamaru washing the dishes and then handing them to Temari, who dried and put them away.

From the corner of his eye, Shikamaru watched as Temari expertly wiped the water off the dishes, her teal eyes concentrated on the task. She was wearing her usual purple—it occurred to the genius at that moment, that maybe Temari liked the color purple—and her hair was tied up in two pigtails, rather than four. Shikamaru couldn't really say he didn't like her new style, though. She looked much more feminine that way. Not that Shikamaru was going to say such a thing aloud, not unless he wanted to die early.

Temari was grasping another plate now, her hands rough from years of being a shinobi. Her skin was somehow still light—at least, lighter than his—despite being the one whose home was under the blazing sun.

She really was beautiful, Shikamaru realized, still embarrassed to say such a thing aloud. She always had been, back when they were both just genin, except he didn't think he noticed it until later. She had always been scary, and now Shikamaru could willingly admit that, yes, Temari was even scarier than his own mother.

Thinking back on the chuunin exams made Shikamaru chuckle a little. Back then, she had been sixteen, and he thirteen. The age difference had been a vast amount of years, and all Shikamaru could read from her were two words: dangerously troublesome. Needless to say, he had tried to avoid her at all costs.

That was, until she had rescued him with one sweep of her fan, and turned to him with a grin that had surprised him even more than her battle prowess. It was probably then, Shikamaru concluded, that he had begun to take notice of her, as scary as she was. And in the years Naruto had been gone, he had been assigned as her escort around Konohagakure. The two had talked, and maybe, if time had gone on, the two would have realized their feelings earlier.

Yet the war had happened, as suddenly as a thunderstorm on a cloudless day, and both had been too loyal to notice anything going on between them. It was always their friends and family first—Gaara or Naruto, Kankuro or Chouji. Never each other.

But now that they were both adults, the gap between them was useless. The war had ended, and in the peace that ensued, he had discovered her gentle nature, and she, his hidden determination. There was nothing standing in their way anymore.

"What are you looking at?" Temari asked, snapping Shikamaru abruptly from his thoughts. "You still have a job to do, in case you've forgotten. You've been letting the water run for quite a bit now. Unless you want a large bill, I suggest you get back to washing, lazy."

Shikamaru smirked, long used to her taunts; he knew how to turn the cards in his favor now. "I was looking at you, and thinking how beautiful you are."

Temari hit him on the shoulder, harder than normal, but a blush crept its way onto her face, which did not escape Shikamaru's attention.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, returning to the dishes.

Temari rolled her eyes at him. "Crybaby."

Shikamaru smiled. Some things never did change.

.

In the living room, the children were clambered around Yoshino, listening with wide eyes as she read them one of Shikamaru's old childhood books, _Momotaro_. Yoshino sat on the floor, with Gaara and Hinata seated on her lap. The other children were nearby, watching the drawings in the book intently. Even Kankuro had stopped swinging his stick around, favoring the old folk tale that he had never known.

Naruto, who had never heard them before either, was just as eager. He was sitting on the couch, leaning forward expectantly. Sasuke sat on the Uzumaki's left, his right arm hung casually behind Naruto.

"Wait, he was born from a peach?" Naruto asked. "That makes no sense."

"It's a story, Naruto," said Sasuke. "These things happen."

Naruto shrugged, satisfied with Sasuke's vague answer. Yoshino continued reading, patiently answering each child's questions when they came to a part they didn't understand.

"What's a pheasant?" Kankuro asked.

"It's a bird," answered Sakura, who was smart for a three-year-old.

"Wait, it is?" Naruto said. "Are you sure? Is it edible, dattebayo?"

"Naruto, just listen," Sasuke ordered, though Sasuke himself wasn't really listening to the story either. His attention was fixed on the man next to him, a bit uncomfortable with how close they were, though he wasn't sure why. The two of them had shared space plenty of times before, especially back when they had both been on Team Seven with Kakashi and Sakura.

Naruto laughed at a scene in the story, and Sasuke stiffened, fascinated at the sound. He had forgotten how attractive Naruto's laugh could be.

Sasuke paused his mental observations. Wait. Had he just called Naruto _attractive_? There was no way he had said that.

Sasuke shook his head, banishing the thought from his mind. He was probably just tired. A good night's rest would do him good.

"Are you seriously _reading_ to them?" a low voice asked in disbelief.

"Is there something wrong with reading?" a female voice accompanied the male's.

Shikamaru sighed. "It's just so—"

"Troublesome, we know," Temari interrupted. "No one asked you to read to them anyways. Just sit down and be quiet. Or go take a nap."

"A nap sounds like a promising idea," Shikamaru said, about to head to his room when his mother summoned him back.

"We're about done," Yoshino told him. "It's getting late. Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun should be going back soon. As their host, you should see them out."

"Of course," said Shikamaru, too tired to argue at this point. He could already picture his nice, warm bed in front of him. He just had to suffer through a few more minutes before he was free.

Yoshino finished the story and Sasuke stood up.

"Thank you for the meal, Yoshino-san," Sasuke said, scooping the sleeping Ino into his arm.

"Yeah, thanks, dattebayo," echoed Naruto, also springing to his feet.

"Any time," Yoshino said. "If the two of you ever need help with those kids, feel free to drop by."

The two men thanked Yoshino again, and, with a heavy sigh from Shikamaru, they were led out of the house along with their charges.

Once the door had closed behind his guests, Shikamaru let out his breath in relief. The day was about over. All he had to do was retreat to his room now.

"Where are you going, Shikamaru?" Yoshino asked sharply.

Shikamaru reluctantly stopped. "To… my room?"

"I don't think so, young man," Yoshino scolded. Shikamaru could feel a headache coming up.

"Bring the kids to their rooms. You can't expect Temari-chan to do all the work, can you? She already cleaned out the guest rooms. Be a man, and help her prepare the kids for bed."

"I _am_ a man," Shikamaru muttered. "It's not my fault all the women I know are so troublesome. How can they even be classified as women?"

"What was that, Shikamaru?"

"Nothing, Mom."

With his bed so tantalizing close, Shikamaru went to retrieve the three kids.


	5. Just a Night with Uchiha Sasuke

**Aight, so, first off, I'm officially one year older now... and to celebrate that, here I am updating all my fics, which would include this one!**

 **Second, to clarify things since I think I messed up trying to describe it before; in this story, it's been about two years since the shinobi war ended, Shikamaru Hiden has already happened, so Naruto and those in his year are all 19. The time period in the story is set in the spring time.**

 **Third, I'd like to thank TheAztecKing and Axel0913 for the reviews for chapter 4! And also,** **charlieobsesses for your encouraging words! It definitely made me want to write this a bit more than usual haha.**

 **Also, sorry this chapter is a bit shorter.**

 **And now, without further ado, here's a tiny bit of NaruSasu in chapter 5!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Just a Night with Uchiha Sasuke**

The distance from Shikamaru to Sasuke's house was a long one, made even longer by the slow, leisurely pace Naruto and Sasuke were walking at. The sky was dimming fast, and most people were getting ready to eat dinner; the smells of home-cooked food wafted through the air, causing even the already-full Naruto to want to eat more.

"So, how was your latest mission?" Sasuke asked politely, trying to fill in the silence as he stared at everything and anything but the man walking beside him.

"Oh, it was fine, dattebayo," Naruto said. "Things have finally been settling down in all five hidden villages, and Kakashi-sensei says it'll probably be a peaceful year."

"That's… good to hear."

Naruto gave him a puzzled look, catching the hesitant tone in Sasuke's voice. "Is something wrong?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No."

"Is it Kaguya?" Naruto asked quietly. "Has something happened?"

"No," Sasuke repeated. "It's just… peace. That's something I never thought would happen. Not that I'm saying it's terrible, just new."

"Peace is good," Naruto said. "Less fighting, and less dying. Less kids turned into orphans, dattebayo."

"We're shinobi," Sasuke reminded. "Shinobi don't thrive on peace."

"But we still exist," Naruto said. "And we'll continue to do so. You do remember you're talking to your future Hokage, dattebayo?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Not if I become Hokage first."

"Impossible," said Naruto. "Because I'm obviously the better choice. The Hokage has to look cool and influence the next generation. How can you be Hokage if you're not cool at all?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Dobe."

Naruto grinned. "It's nice to have you back, though, Sasuke. Even if it's for a short while."

Sasuke paused, desperately wanting to say the thoughts on his mind. _Why don't you come with me the next time I leave? We can go together. The village has Kakashi; a few months away won't cause any harm…_

"Sasuke?" Naruto was calling him, and Sasuke finally forced himself to look at the other man.

"Yes?"

"We've arrived," Naruto said, knocking mockingly on the door. "I don't have the keys."

"Oh."

Sasuke cleared his throat, fumbling for his keys. Soon, the door was open, and Sasuke entered the dimly lit room, making sure to keep Naruto behind him. Flicking on the light switch, Sasuke surveyed the room for dangers. Finding none, he allowed Naruto to enter.

"I'll take the girls to bed," Sasuke announced.

"You can't hold all of them in one arm," Naruto reminded him. "We'll just go together, dattebayo."

Sasuke shrugged and led the way to the closet-turned-temporary-bedroom. While Sasuke rummaged around for extra sets of blankets, Naruto laid out the bamboo mats.

"Do you think this is okay?" Naruto asked, stepping back to inspect the arrangement.

"It's fine," Sasuke said, dumping the blankets onto the mats. "Why don't you get ready for bed, Naruto? I can handle the girls by myself. Besides, there's only one bathroom."

"Oh. Okay." Naruto retreated, leaving the Uchiha to handle the girls by himself.

He first headed back to the living room, where he had stashed his bag of clothes and other essentials in a corner. After pulling out some clothes that passed off as clean, Naruto went to take a shower.

The hot water soothed Naruto's sore muscles and he felt himself relax. He closed his eyes, letting the water run down his face as he pondered the peculiar, but not unfortunate, events that had occurred today.

Of course, most of his friends turning back into little kids worried Naruto, but the shinobi couldn't deny he was eager for the chance to spend extra time with the one and only Uchiha Sasuke, especially since the other was almost always away on his missions.

"Why doesn't he just _stay_?" Naruto argued angrily. "It shouldn't be that hard to stay for just a week! I mean, okay, maybe not a week, but couldn't he come back more frequently or something, dattebayo? It's been, like, two years since the war ended! People have probably forgotten his existence by now! I mean, yeah, Sasuke has done some bad things, but come on, who hasn't? Like, what about Gaara? He wasn't exactly the model citizen in his younger years, but look at him now! He's the freaking Kazekage, dattebayo!"

Naruto angrily hit the wall, and a moment later, he could hear Sasuke's voice calling out to him.

"Is something wrong, Naruto?"

"Oh, uh, no!" Naruto shouted back, embarrassed. "I, uh, just slipped a little!"

There was a skeptical, "Oh, okay."

With a heavy sigh, Naruto turned the water off, watching it slowly trickle down the drain. He had to admit, Sasuke's house was still in working condition despite its owner being absent all the time, and Naruto wanted to keep it that way. The in working condition part, not the owner being absent part.

The Uzumaki got out of the shower, wiping himself off with his towel before dressing in his signature orange-colored clothing.

"Sasuke, I'm done!" Naruto called out as he exited the bathroom. There was no reply, which Naruto thought was typical of the Uchiha.

He went back to his temporary living space, stowing his dirty clothes back in his bag. Making himself comfortable on the couch, Naruto stared at the ceiling before drifting off into sleep. From his hazy consciousness, Naruto heard the thud of a door being closed, and the rush of running water.

.

Naruto opened his eyes, and for a moment, he was confused as to where he was. The room was dark, and Naruto squinted, eventually making out the outlines of a single window. The moon was obscured by clouds outside, and the temperature in the house was cold. Shivering a little, Naruto rummaged around for his bag, and pulled out a jacket, before settling back onto the couch. He closed his eyes, ready to sleep again, but snapped them open almost immediately.

Naruto sat up, alert, though he wasn't sure why. His body could sense something was wrong, even if his mind couldn't. Staying as still as he could, Naruto listened carefully. All was quiet, save for the gentle sound of wind outside.

 _Wait a second._ Naruto tensed. Underneath the sound of air, Naruto could make out, very faintly, the light steps of someone stepping on dirt. Normal people didn't walk like that, not unless they were trying very hard to remain quiet. And as such, Sasuke's home was at the outskirts of the village, a place where no one visited.

Getting up as quickly as he could without making too much sound, Naruto made a dash for Sasuke's bedroom.

"Sasuke!" Naruto whispered urgently, flinging the door open without a second thought. It was after the deed had been done that Naruto reflected, that he should have been more wary. Sasuke could have been sleeping _without a shirt on_. Not that, Naruto had never seen the other man without his shirt before…

Naruto shook his head. He had more important matters at the moment. Thinking about a shirtless Sasuke could wait.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called out again, but there was no one in the room. Naruto frowned. Where could Sasuke have gone?

Deciding he couldn't waste any more time, Naruto headed for where the girls were located. He opened the door quietly, trying not to wake the sleeping girls. He was prepared to keep them safe, even if it meant carrying them all one-handed out of the place.

Naruto stopped, his mouth hanging slightly open at the sight that greeted him. The mysterious location of Uchiha Sasuke turned out to be here; he was lying with his back against the wall, his legs folded in an uncomfortable way. His cape was draped over his body as a makeshift blanket. What was even more surprising than finding the missing Uchiha in the closet, was the company he was keeping.

Sakura, Ino, and Hinata had somehow found their ways into his arms, and Sasuke was hugging them protectively with his one arm as he slept. Naruto wished he had a camera on him, just so he could capture this moment forever.

Sasuke opened one eye, his sharingan activated as he sensed a presence before him.

"Naruto?" Sasuke's eye returned to normal upon seeing his childhood friend.

"Hey," Naruto said softly. He couldn't keep the silly grin off his face, even though he knew he had to relay the bad news.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked. He tried to sit up, but then noticed the children in his arms. He blinked, surprised, and a bit embarrassed at having been caught cuddling with children. Sasuke cleared his throat, gently disengaging himself from the three girls.

"What is it?" Sasuke repeated, acting as if his reputation weren't in pieces.

Thankfully, Naruto did not comment on it, though that didn't stop his teasing smile, which quickly fell as he relayed what had happened.

"I don't think we're alone," Naruto said carefully, still maintaining a low volume. He gestured behind him.

Sasuke activated his sharingan again as he stood up. He moved past Naruto and out into the hall. Naruto stayed where he was, trusting that Sasuke could handle whatever it was.

Naruto waited a few minutes, his one hand held protectively over his friends' sleeping forms. There had been no further noise, but Sasuke had yet to return. The Uzumaki frowned, his worry growing as the minutes ticked by, with still no sign of the Uchiha. Just as Naruto was about to get up and go after Sasuke, a figure emerged from the dark, his cape trailing behind him.

Sasuke shook his head slightly, putting a finger to his lips as a signal for Naruto to stay quiet. Naruto nodded in acknowledgement, and Sasuke gestured for the other man to carry the girls.

"There were five of them," Sasuke said lowly. Naruto shuddered at Sasuke's voice, his mind wandering to other thoughts.

"I managed to take down four of them, but one of them got away," Sasuke continued. "I don't know who they are, but I wasn't able to take them in. They had some kind of jutsu that allowed their bodies to dissolve before I could take them in. They seem very dedicated to whatever they're trying to do."

"Sounds like some crazy shit," Naruto remarked. "I think we might need to have a nice chat with Orochimaru."

Sasuke nodded. "We need to inform Kakashi about this as soon as possible."

"Is it safe outside?" Naruto asked. "If so, we should go now. We can drop these three off at Neji's place. If there's anywhere safe in the village, the Hyuugas' have to be one of them."

Sasuke agreed. "I don't know if they brought reinforcements back, but I don't want to wait to find out. We should leave now."

In silence, the two adult shinobi packed a few essentials, gathered up the girls, and snuck outside.

Kakashi sat grimly in his chair, listening patiently as his former pupils told him what had happened at Sasuke's place.

"So, they had no identification on them?" Kakashi asked. "None at all?"

"None," Sasuke confirmed. "But I don't think they're from any of the five villages."

"No one would be stupid enough to attack us during this time," Naruto added. "We just signed a bunch of treaties. Besides, the war was two years ago, and all our villages are still recovering."

"They were using some jutsu I've never seen before," Sasuke continued. "It seems to be something Orochimaru would cook up."

Kakashi nodded slowly, lost in thought. "You're right, Sasuke-kun. We need to talk to Orochimaru."

The Hokage sighed heavily, standing up to search for a scroll. Finding it, Kakashi turned to the two shinobi in front of him.

"I'm assigning both of you on a S-rank mission. The two of you are to go to Orochimaru and see what information you can get out of him. If he's in any way involved, it's of immediate importance that you get him back here _right away_. If not, make sure you can get all he knows out of him. Knowing that snake, he probably knows what's going on, even if it's a vague idea."

Both shinobi nodded grimly.

"What about the girls?" Naruto asked.

"They'll be staying with the Hyuugas. In fact, I'll have all the ones who turned into children stay there for a bit. While the two of you are gone, I'll be sending Shikamaru as Temari's escort back to Sunagakure. They'll try to gather information there, as well as sort out the problems with their Kazekage turning into a kid."

The two shinobi nodded again, and Kakashi dismissed them.

"Are you ready, Naruto?" Sasuke asked as they stepped out onto the streets. Naruto still felt a little tired, but he refused to admit so, especially in front of Sasuke.

"Yup, dattebayo," Naruto said, adjusting the pack on his back.

Sasuke nodded in approval. "Let's go."

The two slowly sped up, jogging out of the village before breaking into a full-out sprint once they were past the village's gates.

Naruto looked at the horizon. The sun was starting to come out, and the first few rays turned everything a red-orange color. Beside him, running at the same fast pace, was Sasuke, whose attention was on the road in front of him.

Naruto couldn't help but smile a little, feeling a surge of excitement and adrenaline rush through him. He was going to be staying with Uchiha Sasuke for a while longer.


	6. Mission to Otogakure

**Chapter 6 is finally here! Also, if anyone is interested in a Star Wars/Naruto crossover, check out my new fic "The Shadow Behind the Light", featuring Jedi Nart and Sasuke, royalty Gaara and Kankuro, as well as a bold bounty hunter Shikamaru attempting to flirt with the unamused Senator Temari, with o** **ne-sided SasuNaru and NaruGaa, and Shikatema, of course.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Mission to Otogakure**

Otogakure was about a day and a half away from Konohagakure, but at the speed the two male shinobi were currently going at, they would arrive in around a day.

They traveled in relative silence, only talking when the need arose. Both could sense a tension in the air, though they were unaware that the other was just as nervous at being so near each other for such an extended time, especially with no one else in sight.

They had made decent progress, and by the time the sun was high up in the air, Sasuke called for a break, recalling how both had slept little the previous night.

Naruto frowned as they stopped. "It's only noon. We can still go for a while, dattebayo."

"I know," replied Sasuke, unslinging his pack. "But we need to regain our energy. It won't do for us to arrive there exhausted."

Naruto didn't argue, acknowledging the point. He sat down next to Sasuke, who was leaning against a tree.

Sasuke quietly ate his lunch, not bothering an attempt to talk to his companion. Naruto copied him, taking out his own hastily packed food.

The silence was uncomfortable, Naruto soon discovered. He tried to focus on his lunch, but his attention kept drifting back to the shinobi beside him, observing the ridiculous headband around Sasuke's long blue hair, and the slight frown upon his pale face. Sasuke shifted, moving his cloak into a different position, and Naruto caught a glimpse of the sword Sasuke always seemed to carry around with him.

"What is it?"

Sasuke's voice surprised Naruto, and the blond shinobi couldn't stop the light blush tinging his cheeks. "Uh, nothing."

Sasuke said nothing, though his eyes said plenty as he kept his two different eyes trained on Naruto's blue ones.

 _Are you sure?_ Sasuke's eyes accused. _You seemed to be staring intently at something_.

"Trust me, it's nothing, dattebayo!" Naruto said, laughing awkwardly. "I was just staring off ahead."

Sasuke shrugged, and resumed eating his lunch, and Naruto let out a small sigh. He had to watch himself and make sure to focus on their mission, and _not_ watch Uchiha Sasuke. Though, Naruto had to admit, Uchiha Sasuke was nice to look at. He had a nice, fit body, Naruto reflected, even if he didn't have as many abs as one would imagine a shinobi to have, and Naruto wondered what it would be like to run his hands over—

Naruto shook his head furiously, trying to dispel such thoughts from his head. He had a mission, and he needed to _focus_ , not think silly (and, if Naruto was being honest with himself, dirty) thoughts about a relationship he would never have with Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto was certain Sasuke didn't swing that way, anyways. Not that Naruto had ever seen Sasuke glance at a woman, either.

Sasuke had finished his lunch and was now standing up, adjusting the sword at his hip while doing so. He took one more sip of his water before stowing the flask back into his pack.

"Are you done, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, just about," Naruto said, also standing up as he stuffed the last bit of food into his mouth.

Sasuke nodded, about to continue their journey but Naruto stopped him.

"Uh, I kind of need to go, though," Naruto mumbled, vaguely gesturing to the bushes with his hand. Sasuke nodded again, and Naruto took that as permission.

His business taken care of, Naruto poked his head out, secretly watching the unawares Uchiha leaning coolly against the trunk of a tree. He made a dashing figure, and Naruto imagined him as his knight in shining armor; only, the stupid hairstyle of his ruined the image. Naruto missed Sasuke's old hairstyle.

Sasuke spotted him, and Naruto nearly leapt out from the tree he had been hiding behind, trying to act as if he hadn't just been staring creepily at the other man.

If Sasuke had noticed, he didn't mention it.

"Let's go."

Naruto followed Sasuke as the two resumed their fast pace from earlier. The sun was out today, and the rays beat down harshly on the two figures as they ran. Most days Naruto liked his shinobi outfit, but other days, like today, he questioned his sanity and his decision to wear black and orange long sleeves. Even more, he wondered how Sasuke wasn't dying from heat with the cloak he always wore.

"Naruto!"

Sasuke's sudden outburst startled Naruto, and he snapped out of his thoughts, coming back to reality just in time to see Sasuke shove him violently to the side. He'd been so occupied with staring at the other man that he had failed to notice the presence of other people around them.

Naruto was quick to recover, ducking as a shuriken flew at him. His hands formed together in his signature style, creating five shadow clones.

Sasuke was fighting with two of the ambushers, who were also swordsmen. Their swords clashed loudly, sparks flying between the metal as the they pushed attack after attack on the other.

Ripping his gaze from Sasuke, Naruto withdrew his own weapons and went on the offensive. There were six of them left, and he had no time to worry about Sasuke. Each clone chose an opponent and attacked, swinging a punch or kick when an opening was available.

Like Sasuke, Naruto didn't want to unnecessarily waste chakra until the last possible moment. They still had about half a day's worth of travels, and, to add on to that, the pair had no idea what would greet them when they reached Otogakure. Orochimaru might have receded into the shadows, but he was still a prominent shinobi capable of disastrous jutsu that only Naruto and Sasuke could stop.

Within two minutes, the fight was over. Sasuke had disarmed his two opponents, while Naruto's six opponents had fled, but not without sustaining injuries.

Sasuke sheathed his blade, barely breathing heavily. He glanced at Naruto.

"I don't think they're the ones we're looking for," Sasuke observed. "Or if they are, they might not know anything important. They haven't used that mysterious jutsu to dissolve themselves."

"Well, the other six _did_ run away," Naruto commented. "And I saw you knock these two out before they even had a chance to do anything, dattebayo."

Sasuke shrugged, withdrawing rope from his pack and tying the two unknown men securely against a tree trunk.

"Let's wake them up," Sasuke said grimly.

Naruto nodded, and once the two were awake, Sasuke began to interrogate them. Naruto winced a little at the force Sasuke was using, but didn't stop him. Naruto was a shinobi, and he knew there were certain _sacrifices_ he had to make in this line of work.

"Who do you work for?" Sasuke asked again. He spoke calmly, but his expression was cold as he dug the end of his sword deeper into one of the captives' shoulders.

The man growled, rudely spitting at Sasuke, who merely moved his head to the side to avoid it.

"I'll never speak!"

Sasuke said nothing, digging the blade deeper in.

The man gritted his teeth, his eyes shut tight with pain, and Naruto had to give him a little respect for not making any sound.

"I won't ask again," Sasuke said. "Tell me who you work for, and what you were trying to do, or next time, my sword might miss its mark and cut off your whole arm instead."

The man smirked. "That won't be a problem for me. I mean, you seem to be doing fine with just one arm. Not that it would matter, since you Konoha shinobi are weak-hearted. You'll never be able to kill me, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke stiffened slightly at the use of his name. In one swift movement, he pulled out his sword, inverted it, and jammed the pommel harshly into the man's throat, successfully choking him.

"Sasuke!" Naruto warned.

Sasuke ignored him, pushing harder onto the helpless man, whose face was starting to change color. Sasuke let loose a low growl, and the man smiled smugly, even in his perilous state.

A hand jerked Sasuke back, and Sasuke allowed Naruto to pull him away.

"I told you," the man said, grinning. He half-choked, half-spat out some blood. "I said you wouldn't be able to kill me. You know why? Because of him."

The man nodded his head at Naruto, and Sasuke had to stop himself from killing him right on the spot.

Instead, Sasuke whirled on Naruto, demanding an answer. "Why did you stop me?"

"You were killing him, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed.

"We have two of them," Sasuke said coldly. "Losing one of them won't matter."

"It isn't right," Naruto insisted. "He's still human, too."

"He's a human who _tried to kill us_."

"Yeah, but we're shinobi," Naruto said quietly. "We do what we're ordered to do, but that doesn't mean we have to go around brutally killing everyone."

Sasuke said nothing, turning his head away so he wouldn't have to stare at Naruto's pleading eyes. He knew that if he did, it wouldn't take long for him to cave in to Naruto's wishes. Sasuke understood the grave situation they were in, even if Naruto didn't. If an unknown power out there had the ability to turn adults back into young children so easily, then the world would soon fall into chaos. The possibility of another shinobi war was all too evident, and Sasuke knew he would do anything he could to protect the peace that Naruto loved so dearly.

Sasuke's gaze fell back onto the two captives, and he froze.

Naruto noticed the gesture and followed his gaze, his mouth hanging open slightly as he saw what Sasuke saw.

"Where did they go, dattebayo?" Naruto asked, shocked.

Sasuke examined the area, and there on the floor, was a small puddle of some unknown substance.

"They did that thing you said, didn't they?" Naruto said, his voice half awe, and half anger.

Sasuke could only nod. He couldn't believe he had been so busy arguing with Naruto that he had failed to notice their two captives were gone. How had they even activated the jutsu without their hands?

"There's nothing we can do about it now," Sasuke finally said, sheathing his blade once more. Without waiting for Naruto, Sasuke began to run.

.

They were close to Otogakure now, and Naruto was feeling miserable. He had a feeling Sasuke was mad at him, though it was hard to tell considering how emotionless Sasuke was all the time. The blue-haired shinobi hadn't said a word so far, which was not unusual, but Naruto could see how Sasuke's shoulders were tensed, and how, occasionally, his hand would clench, and then loosen again.

Sasuke slowed down to a walk, and Naruto noticed they had arrived at one of Orochimaru's bases, the one closest to Konohagakure. It was night now, around dinnertime, and once again, Naruto could smell food cooking. He thought about his favorite ramen dish, and his stomach grumbled in protest.

"Food will have to wait," Sasuke said, stepping into the base. Naruto followed suit, and the pair made their entrance as quietly as they could. Unlike the rest of Otogakure, the halls to this base were empty, and there no signs of life.

"He might not be here," said Naruto, noting the layers of dust and cobwebs around them, as well as the lack of Konohagakure shinobi who were supposed to act as informants.

"Still, we must check," Sasuke said. "He might have left a clue somewhere."

"A clue to what?" A voice asked, and both Konoha shinobi tensed, ready for a confrontation, only for Naruto to relax as they saw it was someone they knew. He had traded his purple tank for a black collared shirt and pants, but was otherwise mostly the same.

Sasuke's hand remained near the hilt of his sword. "What are you doing here?"

Suigestsu shook his head, making "tsk" sounds. "Why wouldn't I be here? Where else would I be, if not here? It's not like I'm welcome in Kirigakure."

"Where's Orochimaru?" Naruto asked, and Suigetsu shrugged.

"Beats me. He left two days ago."

"Where is he now?" Sasuke demanded.

"Hey, calm down, Sasuke," Suigetsu said. "You're always so tense. Is this how you greet an old friend?"

"You're not a friend," Sasuke replied indifferently.

"Ouch, that's a little harsh," Suigetsu whined. "But, before we talk, why don't you have dinner with us? Juugo made this new dish, and it smells _really_ good, and probably tastes even better—"

"We don't have time to chat with you," Sasuke interrupted. "We need to know where Orochimaru is."

"Right to the point, as usual," Suigetsu complained. "Well, if you really must know, he went over to Kabuto's."

"Kabuto?" Naruto spoke up. "As in Yakushi Kabuto?"

"Yup," Suigetsu said. "Orochimaru wants his opinion on his research."

"His research." Sasuke repeated. He took a step towards Suigetsu. "And, what exactly, would his research be on?"

Suigetsu shrugged ambiguously. "Just stuff. You know how he is, always curious about everything."

"And would it happen to relate to children?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his eyes.

Suigetsu looked surprised. "How did you know?"

Sasuke's sword was immediately out, the blade dangerously close to Suigetsu's throat. The other man merely rolled his eyes.

"That's rude, Sasuke," Suigetsu said. "Can't you explain yourself before you go about threatening my life? I mean, come on, I've been very polite so far, so obviously the reason isn't because I was pissing you off."

"He's right, Sasuke," Naruto agreed. "We don't know for sure Orochimaru is involved, so we need to at least give him the benefit of the doubt, which would apply even more to Suigetsu."

Sasuke nodded stiffly, acquiescing to Naruto's wishes.

Suigetsu cleared his throat. "Right, then. If you two truly don't want dinner, then I can't make you, but as for me, I'm famished, and I would really like some food. Can't we bring this pleasant discussion over there?"

Sasuke looked to Naruto uncertainly, and the whiskered shinobi nodded.

"Fine." Sasuke sheathed his sword. "Lead the way."

.

The dinner table wasn't meant to accommodate so many people, and so Sasuke chose to stand off to the side. He had reluctantly accepted a bowl after Naruto had shot him pleading looks with those warm blue eyes of his. After all, who was Sasuke to say no to Naruto?

"So, you're saying Orochimaru isn't involved," Naruto was asking the former members of Team Taka.

"That's right," Karin said, adjusting her glasses. "I should know, after all. I work closely with him on his research. He has no interest, or motive, in turning adults back into children."

"He doesn't need a motive," Sasuke said. "Once his curiosity is piqued, that man will do anything."

"Those were the old days, as you know," Suigetsu said. "He's changed, though not by much. He still looks disgustingly like a snake."

"He likes to focus on other research now," Karin continued. "Like Suigetsu said, before you got so offensive, Orochimaru's work right now concerns children, but not in the way you think. He's currently focusing on clones."

Naruto looked up from his bowl. "Clones? Like shadow clones?"

"No, like, actual clones," Karin explained. "You know how he's always been obsessed with immortality, and he's made clones before, but now he wants to try to make one into a real human, complete with emotions and all. He calls them his kids, and it's kind of creepy, especially since he names them all 'Mitsuki'."

"The clones haven't been successful so far, though," Suigetsu said. "Most of them are pretty emotionless, though I suppose that doesn't make them so different from you, Sasuke."

Sasuke said nothing, though his face was less than amused at Suigetsu's attempt for a joke.

"So, he went to Kabuto asking for his opinion on something related to those weird clones of his?" Naruto clarified.

Karin nodded. "He also likes to visit Kabuto randomly, and this trip is no different. He should be back in a few days."

"We need to see him now," Sasuke said, putting down his finished bowl, which Juugo picked up and placed into the sink. "It's urgent we find him as soon as possible."

He got off the counter he was leaning against. "Once you're done, Naruto, we should leave immediately."

Naruto made a face. "We know where he is now, dattebayo. Can't we rest here for the night? We were up since the early morning."

Sasuke thought for a long moment before consenting. "Fine."

He turned to his three hosts, his voice menacing. "But if I don't find him there, I'll be coming back."


End file.
